I am hesitant to add a motor to my 170. I'm looking for opinions on this issue from those who have or have not added a motor. Any regrets?
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no regrets
Especially when I was at the outer edge of Salem Harbor when the wind died. Paddling would have taken forever.
Especially when I was at the outer edge of Salem Harbor when the wind died. Paddling would have taken forever.
No motor here
It think it depends to some degree on where you sail. I sail in S. California in a small harbor and along the shoreline. So there is usually some wind that gets me back to the launch ramp. I have been out in conditions where it seems like there is no wind at all. The water has been glass but the 170 still moved me towards the dock. It took a while but she got me there. The problem would be if I was a long way off shore and the wind died. Even though I could still probably get back, I may be put in a situation where I am stuck off shore after sunset or in fog. So if it looks like there not going to be much wind or if the wind starts to die, I stay close. I am in no hurry to get a motor. Hope this helps.
It think it depends to some degree on where you sail. I sail in S. California in a small harbor and along the shoreline. So there is usually some wind that gets me back to the launch ramp. I have been out in conditions where it seems like there is no wind at all. The water has been glass but the 170 still moved me towards the dock. It took a while but she got me there. The problem would be if I was a long way off shore and the wind died. Even though I could still probably get back, I may be put in a situation where I am stuck off shore after sunset or in fog. So if it looks like there not going to be much wind or if the wind starts to die, I stay close. I am in no hurry to get a motor. Hope this helps.
motor on my 170
I bought a 170 last summer and put an old 2hp short-shaft Johnson outboard on the dealer-installed mount. Most of my sailing is small freshwater lakes. The parks and marinas I use require passage through a channel. I'm age 50+ with wife as crew, so we need the boost. If you buy a motor, get a long shaft. The short shaft is okay for protected water. But in a chop, or with the crew weight forward, the prop churns air. The 170 is a light boat and 2 hp is plenty, but you'll need a long shaft to get you home in a chop. My only other hesitation to mount a motor is my fear of dunking it if we capsize, which we haven't done. Yet.
I bought a 170 last summer and put an old 2hp short-shaft Johnson outboard on the dealer-installed mount. Most of my sailing is small freshwater lakes. The parks and marinas I use require passage through a channel. I'm age 50+ with wife as crew, so we need the boost. If you buy a motor, get a long shaft. The short shaft is okay for protected water. But in a chop, or with the crew weight forward, the prop churns air. The 170 is a light boat and 2 hp is plenty, but you'll need a long shaft to get you home in a chop. My only other hesitation to mount a motor is my fear of dunking it if we capsize, which we haven't done. Yet.
Motor's Great
I use a 2.5 Merc 2 cyc short shaft. A 4 stroke would be more friendly to the enviro but is heavier and costs a bit more. Chose a short shaft to reduce lower unit dragging in the water when heeling under sail. Brian is right about taking care to keep prop & water intake in the water with a loaded boat. You'll know and have to make crew placements adjustments when needed. Never trailer with engine attached! Motor mount isn't designed for road transport. Joe
I use a 2.5 Merc 2 cyc short shaft. A 4 stroke would be more friendly to the enviro but is heavier and costs a bit more. Chose a short shaft to reduce lower unit dragging in the water when heeling under sail. Brian is right about taking care to keep prop & water intake in the water with a loaded boat. You'll know and have to make crew placements adjustments when needed. Never trailer with engine attached! Motor mount isn't designed for road transport. Joe
Good insurance
I have a Honda 2HP long shaft and raise it when under sail. The launch that I use is narrow with private docks on either side and a fair amount of traffic. The motor allows me to get in and out quickly, especially when the winds are tricky. I motor just beyond the no wake zone and raise my sails from there.
I have a Honda 2HP long shaft and raise it when under sail. The launch that I use is narrow with private docks on either side and a fair amount of traffic. The motor allows me to get in and out quickly, especially when the winds are tricky. I motor just beyond the no wake zone and raise my sails from there.
Buy, buy, buy!
Geo, If your docking/trailering situation has a dicey-ness factor to it (that is, if cross-breezes, dying breezes make docking/returning to base challenging on occassion), a motor's a good option to consider. The wind once totally died on me on the lake I sail and I ended up alternating paddling/kicking our 170 home-- TWO MILES! I was solo that day and my wife was highly upset at me when she heard I'd left the motor in the car-- my birdlegs were probably tempting the gators, said she. She had a point. Looks like tide's not in play where you sail (IL), but my motor has saved me on the ICW when I have to shoot a bridge while motorsailing. Currents and wind shifts being as unpredictable as they are sometimes-- when accuracy is a must, get a motor. Also, a motor tends to push the boat more straight when draft is limited and the centerboard must be retracted... the motor is able to plow the boat ahead to where you want to go-- as opposed to trying to sail the boat the rest of the way into the slip with that slippery bottomside working against you. The biggest debacle I had before purchasing the motor for my 170 was on the St Johns south of Jacksonville- we were ghosting out of a boat club's canal and somehow the centerboard downhaul line had become fouled around the mainsheet clam cleat swivel and I couldn't loose it fast enough. Just then a big puff hit us from behind and we were being hurled toward the seawall-- sliding sideways for the most part. I had to crash-jibe the boat and hit the other tack, averting a collision with the massive wall. My wife and her friend thought I had that one "planned". Phew! Bottomline: had we had aux. power we could have spilled the sail and moved more easily toward the center of the channel. On motor choice, if you decide to get one, take a look at the Yamaha 2.5 Four Stroke. We have a 2004 model and it's quiet, fuel efficient and has some real torgue for its size. The Honda 2 might be lighter and doesn't require a water pump, but it's probably a good bit noisier than the Yamaha (the Honda's obviously air-cooled through the cowling). Best, Mike G. s/v Lil Sport- Alachua, FL
Geo, If your docking/trailering situation has a dicey-ness factor to it (that is, if cross-breezes, dying breezes make docking/returning to base challenging on occassion), a motor's a good option to consider. The wind once totally died on me on the lake I sail and I ended up alternating paddling/kicking our 170 home-- TWO MILES! I was solo that day and my wife was highly upset at me when she heard I'd left the motor in the car-- my birdlegs were probably tempting the gators, said she. She had a point. Looks like tide's not in play where you sail (IL), but my motor has saved me on the ICW when I have to shoot a bridge while motorsailing. Currents and wind shifts being as unpredictable as they are sometimes-- when accuracy is a must, get a motor. Also, a motor tends to push the boat more straight when draft is limited and the centerboard must be retracted... the motor is able to plow the boat ahead to where you want to go-- as opposed to trying to sail the boat the rest of the way into the slip with that slippery bottomside working against you. The biggest debacle I had before purchasing the motor for my 170 was on the St Johns south of Jacksonville- we were ghosting out of a boat club's canal and somehow the centerboard downhaul line had become fouled around the mainsheet clam cleat swivel and I couldn't loose it fast enough. Just then a big puff hit us from behind and we were being hurled toward the seawall-- sliding sideways for the most part. I had to crash-jibe the boat and hit the other tack, averting a collision with the massive wall. My wife and her friend thought I had that one "planned". Phew! Bottomline: had we had aux. power we could have spilled the sail and moved more easily toward the center of the channel. On motor choice, if you decide to get one, take a look at the Yamaha 2.5 Four Stroke. We have a 2004 model and it's quiet, fuel efficient and has some real torgue for its size. The Honda 2 might be lighter and doesn't require a water pump, but it's probably a good bit noisier than the Yamaha (the Honda's obviously air-cooled through the cowling). Best, Mike G. s/v Lil Sport- Alachua, FL
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